Raia: Belmont Racetrack Left Out In Cold

Despite hosting the third leg of horse racing’s triple crown races and the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships – considered the sport’s “Super Bowl”- Belmont Racetrack was, once again, left out of the state’s NYRA financial deal. In response to this, Assemblyman Andrew Raia (R,I,C,WF-East Northport) today said, “enough is enough.”

“Once again, Long Island and Belmont Racetrack took another severe economic blow by not receiving their fair share of funding that would help update the facility and also help ease the stranglehold that Long Islanders are feeling through skyrocketing school property taxes,” said Raia. “The monies collected by these Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) that are being put in place to boost the financial condition of racing facilities across the state are supposed to be used toward state education. However, education comes last after first paying off the breeders, the trainers, and the millions of dollars in bonding to bail out a bankrupt corporation (NYRA).”

Raia vowed to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure this piece of legislation is turned back.